Boycott question

[u/Level-Bobcat-7727]

Hi,
I feel like I’m always seeing posts of companies to boycott that invest in ICE, AI, Israel, etc. but I’m having trouble finding alternatives for a lot of companies. For example I use Amazon to buy almost everything. I’m disabled so I pretty much shop online for everything I need. So what’s the best alternative to Amazon? Amazon is the biggest example I have but there’s so many more. Has anyone created like a master list of companies to boycott with good alternatives?
Any advice is appreciated, thank you

[u/MorphingReality]

I don't know of any master list, and anything on a scale like amazon is going to have its own baggage, otherwise they couldn't compete with amazon.

Just do the best you can and try to reduce overall consumption or at least the more frivolous parts of it.

[u/dashibid]

Check out the book How to Resist Amazon and Why https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/12043

But yeah, as others have said, it just takes a little more work. You can buy direct from manufacturers or other retailers online. Think about where you would have gotten that item before - even if it’s a big box store like Kohl’s or Barnes and Noble - and buy from their site. Or even better get it used on EBay, Thriftbooks, Vinted etc etc etc

There’s no point in a single person boycott of every company that has bad choices. But quitting Amazon I think is worth it and is actually surprisingly easy once you commit. Do I (very occasionally) still have to order from other big retailers we hate like Wal Mart - yeah. But at least I’m truly avoiding Amazon.

[u/ankesi108]

a lot of stuff on amazon you can buy directly from the manufacturer…where possible perhaps trying to double check before you check out. there’s an app called buycat that’s pretty good for palestine specific stuff, which has a lot of overlap with ice and ai honestly.

as others have said, for people with disabilities or people in super rural areas sometimes amazon really is the only option right now, and that’s a system problem for all of us to solve together as we fix this mess and not a you problem.

my general advice for trying to start boycotting amazon is to first ask the question “do i really need this or am i filling a void/insecurity?” taken with a grain of salt that things that are supportive for a disability should not fall under that category or question. if it helps you live well relative to your situation, it is not filling a void or insecurity.

[u/Excellent_Singer3361]

At least for the BDS movement, you should focus on the targets of the BDS National Committee which are limited to those that can be most effective: https://bdsmovement.net/Guide-to-BDS-Boycott

The AFL-CIO also lists boycott targets of the labor movement: https://aflcio.org/MadeInAmerica/afl-cio-boycott-list

Amazon is approaching monopoly, so generally I think its pressure points are in institutional deals, not consumer sales. The BDS list has them as a pressure target instead of a priority boycott target for this reason. There are alternatives to Amazon like eBay, Alibaba, Costco, etc but the reason there usually isn't a centralized list of alternatives is that it can be seen as endorsement of companies that may not always be unobjectionable. No ethical consumption under capitalism etc etc, but still there are areas where boycott can be effective.

[u/Koraxtheghoul → u/Excellent_Singer3361]

That AFL-CIO list is so random with no context and also weirdly small?

[u/papercranium]

I like to use Amazon like a catalogue. You can find products there, figure out who the manufacturer is, and then order it directly from their websites. That's how I've found good suppliers from everything to baking ingredients to medical supplies.

[u/FamousMortimer23]

Being disabled is the only valid excuse for using Amazon at this point, IMO, you’re fine.

There is no ethical consumption in capitalism and there are absolutely choices to be made that are more or less harmful. 

Having specifics for what other kinds of services you’re looking for alternatives to would be helpful, hard to provide a master list when so much is dependent on so many individual factors.

[u/akejavel]

What country do you live in? This could help point towards possible alternatives.

[u/Level-Bobcat-7727 → u/akejavel]

USA

[u/Bodybag_occupier]

Pay the local broke kid(s) who are looking for a job to do your shopping. Find others who order from amazon and offer the alternative till it's better than amazon. You can probably find local farms open to sell too.

[u/Pupsino]

You’ve not said which country you’re in so I’m going to guess you’re an American, but there’s unlikely to be one giant list of everything. People may make smaller lists for specific issues, but only you can decide what specific combination of issues you care about.

I’ve been involved in “consumer boycotts” (I hate that term) for years and the UK (where I live) has some well-established organisers and lists, but these things tend to have geographic constraints. For example, I’m part of the European movement to divest of American brands, which I’m guessing won’t be relevant to you.

You’ve listed some key issues for you in your post, so you can start searching for lists on them. Then you can start making your own list from those. That’s useful because you can focus on stuff that is specific to how you live.

For me, making my list was particularly useful for “companies that own companies that own companies”. E.g. Nestle are pretty much the first company a lot of people would’ve started boycotting (though I imagine nowadays Amazon gives them a good run). But Nestle are huge and they own a large number of other brands, some that aren’t easily identifiable as a Nestle subsidiary. So I had a list of the ones I need to watch out for so I didn’t forget. An example from my list is Kiehl’s. That’s a nature-y branded beauty company, so likely to catch my interest. But they’re owned by L’Oreal, who are part-owned by Nestle, so they’d be on my no list!

(Kiehl’s is also a fun example because that specific brand is American, but L’Oreal is their parent company and is French, and they’re part-owned by Nestle, which is Swiss. So if I weren’t boycotting Nestle, I’d have to figure out if Kiehl’s is covered by my American boycott.)

Eventually my Nestle boycott expanded to cover all 10 of the big corporations that own most the world, which sounds harder to manage but is actually easier. Now I just assume all well-known brands are owned by one of them unless I can prove otherwise (it’s sort a psychological switch from “everything is ok to buy except for these brands” to “everything is not ok to buy unless I know who makes it”). Mostly I just read a lot of product labels.

[u/ZootSuitRiot33801]

Collecting a bunch of valuable information on organizing and action from different redditors over time, I created a post of suggestions HERE that could possibly prove to be of some help in maybe developing something that can break people's reliance on big corpos if you or anyone else read this are interested

[u/Level-Bobcat-7727 → u/ZootSuitRiot33801]

Thank you

[u/carr10n__]

i try to buy as much off amazon as i can but im alsos everly disabled. im bedbound about half the time with really bad fatigue and brain fog, i manage my own appointments and everything (my caretaker only helps with physical tasks) and thats alot on my already fried brain so often its very hard to figure out where to buy something and enter all my info.

i try to air on the forgiving side when i have to use Amazon(amazon also has the cheapest commercial medical equipment most of the time).

you need to remember that boycotting is a privilege in itself, to have the energy and money to use alternatives is a privilege. avoiding amazon as much as possible is enough and if you need to use it for one reason or another dont beat yourself up about it

[u/RangeroftheIsle]

One think you could try is just checking eBay before you buy on Amazon, I've found a number of products cheaper on eBay then Amazon.

Also 3ed party sellers on Amazon sometimes have their own websites selling the same thing without Amazon in the loop.

[u/LemSal]

Here to second what a lot of people are saying, and add that if your energy and pocket book allow for it, you could slowly start building alternative ways of shopping. Do you have a friend or relative that could do some in person shopping for you? Or help with researching the Amazon alternatives people here are suggesting? Could you find one alternative per week or month yourself and switch over?

[u/autmystic]

Amazon is so big it's beyond lib "no ethical consumption..." shit now. As despicable as it is, it is a wonder of efficiency and convenience.

Whether you use it or not it now receives so much in government funding and tax breaks (across the globe) that paying more elsewhere -often for a worse/less consumer-friendly option- is pure self-harm.

If you can pay a little more for independent/local/worse service then go for it, if you can't, don't feel bad.